The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recently released their annual mandated report to Congress on National Healthcare Quality and Disparities, covering more than 440 measures across all health care settings.

The research team found that Black and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) individuals experienced a higher risk of having pressure ulcers in nursing homes compared to other groups. From 2013 to 2019, the percentage of nursing home residents who experienced a pressure ulcer declined (improved) overall for all racial/ethnic groups except AI/AN and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.

Male nursing home residents were more likely to experience pressure ulcers during the same period, compared to female residents. The report also shows the percentage of nursing home residents who experienced falls, with Black residents less than half as likely to have experienced a fall with major injury compared to White residents.

The percentage of home health patients with improved management of oral medications increased significantly between 2013 and 2020, with 77% of home health patients taking oral medications having improved their medication management during an episode of care. Black patients were 10% more likely to have been asked about their medications at the beginning of home health care than White patients.